Alola Amour
by MegazardXY
Summary: Ash and Serena are now 17 years old, and have taken separate paths in life, without acknowledging their undeniable, unspoken feelings for each other. Luckily, one thing leads to another, and they both find themselves in the Alola region, but things aren't quite the same as they used to be... Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, but I sure as hell wish I did
1. Chapter 1: Seven Years

What's up everyone, I know it's been like three years but I'm back with a new story I came up with on a whim. I am quite busy as of late, however, so I will only continue if I get positive feedback. Essentially, if enough of you want more, I'll write more. Thanks for reading! It feels nice to be back.

* * *

Chapter 1: Seven Years

* * *

It's a beautiful, sunny morning in Pallet Town. The sky was crystal clear, so clear that anyone looking up could see the flocks of Flying-type Pokemon soaring above the houses and hills. Pallet Town was as quiet as ever, and one would never think to believe that one of the world's greatest heroes was born and raised here. As the years went by, word of Ash Ketchum and his heroic exploits reached not only every corner of the Kanto region, but also various parts of the entire world. This was no surprise to anyone, of course, given that saving the world was almost like a hobby for Ash.

Perhaps his greatest accomplishment was unraveling the evil organization known as Team Flare. Team Flare had been running rampant in the Kalos region, plotting nefarious schemes that were all but ethical. It was a long and difficult effort, but eventually Ash defeated Lysandre, the leader of Team Flare, the man who sought to destroy all but himself.

After his adventure in the Kalos region, Ash was left with a tough decision to make. He could have immediately moved on to the gorgeous four islands known as the Alola region, or he could return to a region he had already been through to take on the league there again. He thought long and hard, and after consulting his closest friends and family, he chose the latter.

Part of the reason was because he actually took the loss against Alain a lot harder than he had let on. He had been so close to finally winning a league. He struggled but triumphed against all eight Gym Leaders, he trained relentlessly with each and every one of his Pokemon. And who would be better to be his final opponent than Alain, his toughest rival; it was almost poetic. Ash felt absolutely crushed when he lost, but after the battle he simply put a brave face on and acted like it was fine. "You'll win the next league, I'm sure of it, Ash!" some of his friends had told him. He appreciated this support, but after losing in six leagues straight, such words of encouragement were beginning to mean less and less.

And so, he returned to Pallet Town, as he usually did after a journey in another region. But this time, he stayed there for two years. He needed to reflect on his ambitions, his methods, his short-term goals, his long-term goals. He needed to do more than train his Pokemon, but didn't know what that 'more' was exactly. Luckily, two of his best friends, Misty and Brock, were able to help him sort out the cluttered thoughts in his mind.

After two years of being in the Kanto region, he won the league. Everyone was overjoyed; for once, Ash had a success story that was about more than just friendship and good life lessons. He had a real victory under his belt now. Ash had felt amazing. He felt uplifted and energized like never before, his already strong sense of motivation was reaching its peak because of this victory. Finally, his efforts of reaching his ultimate dream were starting to bear fruit. And he certainly did not stop there. He spent the next year in Johto, and won the league there. He then moved on to Hoenn, and won again. After seven years, Ash won every single league he had ever lost in, Kalos included. It was incredible. He was already widely known as a sort of hero, but after winning six leagues straight, Ash had never felt happier in his entire life. Or so he thought.

Something was missing, and he knew exactly what it was.

* * *

After the Team Flare incident, Serena had a lot in her life to move on to. Her Pokemon Performing career was just taking off, sparked by her amazing performance in the Master Class tournament. The ever-captivating Aria had managed to defend her title as Kalos Queen that year, but that did not dampen Serena's spirits at all; in fact, it motivated her to push herself and her Pokemon even harder. The next year, she won the Master Class tournament, earning herself the title of Kalos Queen. The year after that, she defended her title. Unfortunately, she lost her title the year after, and since then has not won it back. This, of course, was devastating for Serena and her Pokemon.

In need of a long break from performing, she decided to travel to the Sinnoh region to try her hand at Pokemon contests, and found that she was quite good at them. This was not much of a surprise, since performing and contests share some common aspects. She even got the chance to meet Ash's friend, Dawn. Dawn recognized Serena's natural talent, and taught her some of the more advanced nuances of Pokemon contests. The two became quite close, both girls discovering that they actually had a lot in common. Serena was fascinated to hear about Dawn's relationship with her mother, Johanna. Dawn spoke of how difficult it was to live in her mother's shadow for such a long time, something Serena could definitely relate to. Dawn was amazed at how Serena went against her mom's wishes and carved her own path for herself instead.

Of course, Serena couldn't stay in Sinnoh forever. Having a break from the stress of performing had been good for her, but she needed to get back on track. She travelled home to the Kalos region, and continued practicing for becoming Kalos Queen again. At that time, that was all she wanted: to reclaim her title as Kalos Queen. Or so she thought.

* * *

"Ash! It's time to get up! Hurry or you'll be late!" Delia Ketchum called out to her son. Ash had a flight to catch at noon that day. He was finally going to the Alola region.

"Mmph, five more minutes…" Ash grumbled as he turned over in his comfortable bed.

Eight minutes passed and Delia was still eating breakfast by herself. "Mimey, please go get my son out of bed for me," she said. Her faithful Mr. Mime nodded and walked up the stairs to get Ash.

"Ash Ketchum, you're 17 years old now, you'd think you'd learn to be punctual from time to time instead of oversleeping through everything. Especially after the first day of your Pokemon journey," Delia said.

Ash chuckled as he sat down at the table. "Hey, I don't regret missing out on choosing my first Pokemon. If I hadn't overslept, I wouldn't have met Pikachu," he said, affectionately petting his partner Pokemon.

Delia smiled. "Of course, but you won't always get so lucky. Besides, nothing good can possibly come out of you missing your flight today. Unless, of course, you've changed your mind and want to stay home a bit longer?" she asked, her voice slightly hopeful.

Shaking his head, Ash said, "Sorry, mom, but I've got to go. I can't wait around here any longer...there's so much to see in Alola and I've been missing out on it for seven years!"

"You know, Ash, life isn't always about rushing ahead. Sometimes it's nice to sit back and appreciate what you already have," Delia replied. "Have you taken the time to say goodbye to Professor Oak?" she asked.

"Ah, shoot, I knew I forgot something," Ash said. "I guess I'll have to video call him later."

"And what about Misty?" Delia asked.

Ash didn't even look up. "What about her?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Well, you _are_ still friends, right? I know the breakup was hard, but you shouldn't push her away just because things didn't work out between you two. She's a really sweet girl, Ash, and you've been through so much together," Delia said.

Ash rolled his eyes. "I get that, but I just think I've been around here for too long. I need something new in my life. There's no point in me staying here anyway; I already won the league years ago."

Delia frowned. "There's more to home than just winning a league, Ash. What about me? I'm always here, and don't forget that I miss you everyday you're gone," she said. "It's not easy for me seeing you so happy elsewhere while wishing you were home at the same time."

Ash looked down at his food, suddenly feeling extremely guilty. "Yeah, I miss you too, mom, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that," he said, slowly biting into a piece of toast.

"I know, sweetie. And I know you need to be out there, doing everything that you do. It's good for you...but always remember that your home is here, in Pallet Town," Delia said.

Ash felt confused. "What do you mean? Of course I know this is my home."

Delia sighed. "I meant...well, sometimes I just worry that one day you won't come back," she said, her face wearing a lonely expression.

"What? As in, you think I'm gonna die or something? Mom, seriously, you're being too paranoid. I'm perfectly fine no matter what," Ash said.

"Not that, honey...I know you're safe for the most part. What I really worry about is…" Delia's voice trailed off. She didn't know what to say, there were a dozen ideas running through her head and she didn't want to trouble her son with any of them. "Nevermind, you need to eat and be on your way soon," Delia said.

"Huh? No, wait, mom, what were you-"

"Ash, it's almost 11:00 and we're not even in the car yet. C'mon, let's leave in five minutes," Delia said as she started walking up the stairs.

 _Well that was weird,_ Ash thought. _Although, maybe I should come home more often than I do. I guess I haven't really been thinking about how lonely my mom must get around here without me._

Delia came down the stairs, saying, "Mr. Mime, I'll be back in about an hour. You ready, Ash?"

Ash stood up and nodded. "Yeah. Hey, mom, I-"

Delia smiled and hugged her son. "We can talk about it in the car, honey. Now let's go."

* * *

"Serena! Time for breakfast!" Grace called out to her daughter.

"Ughh, five more minutes, please?" Serena asked.

"Well, alright," Grace answered, growing more worried. Ever since Serena returned from Sinnoh, Grace noticed that she seemed less focused, less motivated than before. Despite what Serena would tell her mom about her goal, Grace couldn't help but feel that her daughter might be starting to lose her way. After all, her goal before all of this was simply to become Kalos Queen, which she already accomplished. Was reclaiming this title really what Serena wanted? Or did she just not know how to move forward to other ambitions?

Serena slowly came down the stairs, rubbing her eyes as she yawned. Her honey-blonde hair was now long again, reaching past her shoulders. "I think today will be a lazy day, I'm so tired," she said as she sat down at the table.

Grace frowned. "That would make today the third lazy day this week, honey. Don't you feel like you should be practicing some more? There's a showcase competition next month, isn't there?"

Serena shrugged. "Yeah, but I feel like I'll be fine. A month is a long time, don't worry," she said as she took a sip from her orange juice.

"I don't know if that's such a great attitude to have, Serena. Especially since you've been in Sinnoh for quite a while," Grace said. "And I know contests are similar to performing, but they are far from being the same thing. You haven't performed in over a year, aren't you worried you're a little out of touch with it?"

"No, I'll be okay, mom," Serena replied. "It's just a Rookie class competition. I don't mean to be cocky, but I'm pretty sure I'm gonna win."

"Just because you say you don't mean to be cocky doesn't mean you're not being cocky," Grace said, chuckling a little. It was nice to see her daughter have so much confidence, but she felt that this was more of a false bravado. She could sense that Serena's mind was elsewhere, somehow, though she couldn't quite figure out what it was just yet.

Out of the blue, Grace asked, "How's Ash doing?"

Serena almost dropped her glass of juice. "Uh, what? I don't know, why do you ask?" she said dismissively.

Grace shrugged. "Oh, just curious. Do you still keep in touch?" she asked.

"Why do you sound like you want me to say yes?" Serena asked, a hint of suspicion in her voice.

"Because I do. I won't hide it, Serena. You two should be keeping in touch, you know," Grace said.

"Yeah, well Calem isn't exactly crazy about me doing that," Serena replied. "Not to mention that it doesn't even matter because I don't think Ash even cares about talking to me much," she said.

"Why do you say that? You guys were inseparable during his whole time in Kalos," Grace said, her face showing that she was becoming even more worried for Serena.

"Well we were traveling together, so of course we were technically 'inseparable' I guess," Serena replied unenthusiastically. "He's probably too busy to talk, anyway."

"You sound disappointed."

"I'm not."

"I think you are."

"Okay, but I'm not."

Grace smiled. "You can be honest with me, you know. All I'm saying is that I've honestly never seen you happier than when Ash was around. I mean, you used to be so grumpy all the time, and suddenly this boy appears and you were always smiling. And don't forget that little kiss you gave him when he was leaving for home," she said.

"Mom, what? How do you know about that?" Serena was suddenly very engaged in the conversation. "I never, ever told you about that!"

Laughing, Grace said, "Little Bonnie told me. That girl isn't so great at keeping secrets," she said.

Serena furiously took a bite of her cereal. "I'm gonna tell Clemont to invent something to keep that girl's mouth shut," she said.

"Serena, relax, I think that's really sweet and it really shows how much you care-"

"Mom, can we drop this? That was seven years ago when I was just a kid okay? It was stupid."

"Don't say that, honey, I know that lately-"

"You know what, I'm done talking about this. I'll be in my room if you need me, unless you still want to talk about this, in which case don't bother," Serena said angrily, getting up from the table. She put her dishes in the sink and marched upstairs to her room.

Grace shook her head. _Wow, she practically blew up on me just from saying his name,_ she thought. _What is going on with her?_


	2. Chapter 2: Doubt

For those of you who read Chapter 1 when it first came out, sorry about the transitions, the original file had lines between scene shifts but somehow they got deleted. I just added them back. Anyway, enjoy the next chapter.

* * *

Chapter 2: Doubt

* * *

As she pulled up to the Viridian City Airport, Delia asked, "You're sure you have everything, sweetie?"

Ash smiled and nodded. "I think so. Anything I didn't bring I'm sure I can find in Alola somewhere," he replied.

The airport was bustling as usual, given how busy Viridian City was in general. There were dozens of cars lining the entrances to the main building, people and Pokemon everywhere saying hello and goodbye to their loved ones. Ash loved the airport. It was the place where a new adventure always started and ended, so naturally being there made him think about some of the fantastic memories he had in other regions of the world. And now, he was just about to make more of them.

"Isn't this exciting, Pikachu? It's been a while since we've been to a new place," Ash said, glancing at the Mouse Pokemon on his shoulder. "Pika pika!" Pikachu cheerfully replied.

"Okay, you only have half an hour to make it to the gate, so you better hurry along, now," Delia said, bringing in her son for a hug. "Stay safe, Ash. And don't forget to wash your underwear!"

Ash rolled his eyes and smiled at that old running joke. Suddenly, a whole new wave of memories came to his mind about his first few steps as a Pokemon trainer. _I've come so far,_ he thought to himself. _I've accomplished so much...I've put in years of training, and was rewarded with win after win. So why do I keep feeling like something's missing?_

In the very back of his mind, he knew the answer to that question. But with so many years passed, it was difficult to think about something like that at the moment. Especially after his recent relationship with Misty ended.

Sometimes, he still thought about the red-haired, tomboyish Gym Leader. How could he not? She was the first person he met and befriended on his Pokemon journey, and she had been through so much with him. She was there when Ash captured a Pokemon for the first time. She celebrated his first victories as a Pokemon trainer with him, and was there to support him through his first losses. She stood by him through his league challenge in Kanto, and supported him in the Orange Islands as well. Then after that, they traveled through the Johto region together. It was safe to say that for a very long time, Misty had been his closest friend.

Of course, Brock was also there, and no one can forget how helpful Brock can be. There was a reason he became a Pokemon Doctor, after all. But it was different with Misty. Maybe it was because she was a girl, and that she had a mild crush on Ash way back then. Maybe it was simply because of their personalities. Ash didn't know for sure. Things did change, though, when Ash left for the other regions. Misty had her own responsibilities to attend to, and Ash couldn't stay in one place. At the end of their Johto journey, when Ash, Misty, and Brock were standing at the crossroads to say their farewells, both Ash and Misty could tell that they harbored unspoken feelings for each other; but they didn't say anything.

Not at the time, that is. They were too young, and they had other aspects of life to focus on. But a year after Ash had returned from Kalos, they admitted how they felt and became a couple. For a while after that, everything was great for them. They were happy together, and everyone else enjoyed seeing them together as well.

However, it wasn't too long before Ash started to have his doubts. Sure, he always had fun hanging out with Misty, and it was nice to have someone to call his girlfriend. But as time progressed, he realized that he couldn't stop thinking about someone else. It was painful, and it made him feel extremely guilty because he knew that at one point in his life, he truly did have feelings for Misty. Perhaps now the fire that had started their relationship simply did not have the fuel to keep burning. Whatever it was, eventually Misty caught on to it. She figured out that Ash was thinking about Serena, and was angry beyond words at first. However, it surprisingly didn't take her very long to accept it with grace and dignity, though she did have to end the relationship, which was understandable. The two childhood friends remained nothing more than friends from that point on.

The vast array of emotions Ash had experienced from all of this still lingered in his mind. This was another reason why he chose to travel to the Alola region; he needed a vacation.

* * *

"Serena dear, can I talk to you for a moment?" Grace cautiously asked as she knocked on the door to Serena's room.

A few seconds of silence passed. "Sure, come in," Serena replied.

Grace quietly opened the door and stepped inside. "My, this room is a mess," she remarked, observing the numerous items of clothing and candy wrappers littering the floor. "Just how much time do you spend in here?"

Serena sighed. "Did you come up just to criticize me?"

"Serena, this attitude needs to stop. I truly don't know what's going on with you, but what I do know is that it's obviously affecting your career. Just how do you expect to come out on top if you haven't been in the game for a year and you're lounging around everyday with hardly an hour of practice?" Grace said, her voice firm.

"I go out...sometimes," Serena replied. "I've been hanging out with Calem a lot, okay?"

"And yet you still seem so glum all the time. Is Calem a good boyfriend? Does he treat you well, Serena?" Grace inquired.

"Of course he does, mom. He's a nice person," Serena answered. "I've been with him for like six months now, don't you think I'd know by now whether or not he was a good boyfriend?"

Grace raised an eyebrow, sensing that something was just not right about all of this. "Well then explain your constant moodiness. I've been tolerating it, because I didn't want to impose, but quite frankly you're starting to be very disrespectful towards me and above all else, I'm getting very worried about you."

Serena sighed again. "I'm sorry, mom. I know you're just trying to help...but I'm telling you now that you won't be able to help me with what I'm dealing with," she said.

"Try me."

* * *

"Hey, Ash, how are you?"

"Hey, Clemont, I'm fine, thanks. I just wanted to let you know that I'm leaving now for the Alola region," Ash said.

"That's awesome! I'm actually planning on traveling there myself in a few months, I just need to finish building my private jet," Clemont replied.

"Oh wow, that sounds fancy," Ash said.

"Eh, it's really not, it actually looks like a piece of junk because I'm trying to keep my budget low. I have gotten it to fly, though!...after crashing it once or twice. Okay, maybe six times."

Ash laughed. "I can't believe a guy your age is actually able to build his own plane. Science is so amazing."

"Not as amazing as what you've done these past few years! I can't believe throughout this entire conversation you haven't talked about your six straight league wins, Ash! Like for real, Alola sure won't be ready for a champion like you on their shores!" Clemont said cheerfully.

Ash chuckled. "I can't be getting cocky now, though I _am_ curious about how many people are gonna recognize me while I'm there," he said.

"I mean, you're gonna be at the beach half the time right? That means girls in swimsuits everywhere. Do you understand how lucky you are?"

Suddenly Ash was reminded of why he was calling in the first place. "Hey, uh, have you seen Serena at all, by any chance?" he asked as casually as he possibly could.

Clemont replied, "Hm, now that you mention it, no, I haven't. I do believe Bonnie paid her a visit a while back, though. Why do you ask?"

"Ah, okay, thanks, I was just curious."

"Uh, Ash?"

"Yeah?"

"Why don't you just call Serena yourself?" Clemont asked.

Ash didn't know what to say. "Um...uh, I don't know if she still has my number," he said, which was actually true; given that he and Serena hadn't spoken in years, he really thought it was quite possible that she may have deleted his number.

Clemont laughed. "Are you kidding me? She probably has it tattooed on her...oh wait, scratch that. Bonnie told me she actually has a boyfriend now," Clemont said.

"Wait, what?" Ash asked, a little too aggressively. "Since when?"

"I'm not positive, but Bonnie visited her in March so I'd guess at least a few months or so," Clemont said. "Sounds to me like someone's a little jealous," he remarked, chuckling a little.

Ash's face grew a light shade of pink. "Are you crazy? I'm not jealous," he said. "Why would I be jealous?"

"I don't know, the same reason you're asking about her in the first place?"

"Okay, Clemont, very funny. My flight is boarding now, so I gotta go. It was great catching up with you," Ash said.

"You too, Ash. Stay safe on your trip, alright? And if you see any cool Alolan technology there, be sure to tell me about it," Clemont said.

"Of course, Clemont. There's no one else I'd talk to that stuff about," Ash replied. "Good luck on building your jet, you better give me a free ride when it's finished."

"You'll be the first to receive a complimentary, full-service trip to wherever you desire," Clemont said.

"Sweet! Alright, see ya later," Ash said, hanging up. He grabbed his backpack and picked up Pikachu, who had been busy eating ketchup straight from the packets. "C'mon, buddy, let's go!"

* * *

"It's Ash, mom. There, I said it," Serena said. "Are you happy to embarrass me like this?"

Grace was slightly taken aback by this. "Well, I didn't expect you to put it so bluntly. And no, dear, I am not trying to embarrass you. You know that. I just want to talk. What about Ash? I thought you haven't spoken in years."

"We haven't. That's exactly it...I want to talk to him so badly, I want to hear his voice, see his face, touch his skin…" Serena's voice trailed off as she fought back tears.

"Whoa, okay, slow down there. What about Calem?" Grace asked, thoroughly confused.

"What about him?"

"Well, he's your boyfriend, and I don't imagine he'd like what you're saying right now, honey. It seems clear to me that your affections aren't exclusively with him," Grace said.

Serena looked down at the floor. "I know...I feel so guilty for thinking about Ash but I just can't help it...but see? I told you you wouldn't be able to help me with this."

"Now hang on a second, I might not be able to magically summon this boy here with the snap of my fingers...but I am a mom, so I _can_ give you some guidance, dear," Grace said.

Serena looked up. "And that is…?"

"You should end things with Calem. It's not fair to him for you to be like this. Imagine how he'll feel if he somehow finds out a couple more months down the road. It would crush him, sweetie. You're an amazing, beautiful girl, and I always knew you'd break boys' hearts left and right. I think you need to do this now, before you hurt Calem even more," Grace said. "And then, when the dust settles and you've gathered your thoughts a bit more, you should give Ash a call whenever you're ready," she added.

Serena looked out the window, unsure of what to make of her mother's advice. _Maybe she's right,_ she thought. "I guess...you know, Calem is a nice guy, but I don't think I can actually see myself...loving him. But Ash...I mean it's been so long...what if he...gosh I just can't think right now," Serena said, frustrated.

Grace stood up to leave. "Well, I'm gonna leave you alone for a bit. Think about it hard, honey. Also, dinner will be at six," she said, walking out and closing the door behind her.

Serena looked down at her phone. After about a minute of hesitation, she picked it up and called Calem.

"Hey, Serena!" Calem cheerfully answered.

"Hey, Calem…" Serena said, her voice full of dread. She thought, _Why is this so hard?_

"What's up?"

"Um, I'm not quite sure how to say this, but we need to talk, Calem."

"Oh. Um, well okay, sure. Where should we meet? Should I bring some lunch? My mom just bought some of those cookies you like so much."

Serena smiled sadly. "No thanks, I'm not really too hungry. How about we just meet at the park by the Pokemon Center?"

"Sounds good, I'll be there in five minutes."

"Okay, see you there."

Serena hung up the phone.


	3. Chapter 3: A Toxic Surprise

Chapter 3: A Toxic Surprise

* * *

"Flight 809 is now boarding for the Alola region, please have your boarding passes ready at the front of the line."

As he stood waiting in line, Ash started to think about where he was going to go first, and what he was planning to do. Since his flight was landing in Melemele island, it was only practical that he started his trip there. It worked out nicely, since he definitely wanted to visit the Alola region's famous professor, Professor Kukui.

After that, though, he wasn't quite sure about what to do. In the past, he hadn't been much of a planning person, but in recent years he discovered that having a bit of forethought often had its uses. He pulled up a map of Alola on his phone to compare the four natural islands. He noted each island's particularly interesting or distinguishing features, such as Akala Island's massive volcano and Ula'ula Island's sky-high, snow-covered mountain peaks.

He reached the front of the line. Pikachu hopped onto his shoulder as he handed his boarding pass to the woman up front.

"Your Pikachu is very cute," the woman commented as she scanned Ash's boarding pass.

"Thank you! This little guy here was my very first Pokemon," Ash said, scratching Pikachu's head affectionately.

The woman smiled. "You know, Pikachu is very popular in the Alola region. In fact, there's even a park called Pikachu Valley on Akala Island. You two should check it out," she said.

Ash smiled back and nodded. "Thank you! I guess Akala Island will be our second destination."

He walked into the plane and found an empty window seat near the back. After taking out a snack for himself, he shoved his backpack underneath the seat in front of him and buckled his seat belt. Curious about Pikachu Valley, he started looking up means of island-to-island transportation. One of the cheaper and certainly more entertaining options he found was Mantine Surfing, an activity that the locals and tourists did for transportation and for fun.

 _Alola is lookin' pretty interesting,_ Ash thought.

"Hello everyone, this is your pilot speaking. Although we're looking at clear skies for the entire trip to Alola, please fasten your seatbelts as we are taking off soon, thank you."

* * *

A number of Fletchling and Pidgey were chirping in the trees above her as Serena was walking back home. She felt tears coming on and did everything she could to hold them in, so her mom didn't have to see her cry. _I feel like I've made a mistake,_ she thought. Her head was now spinning with more scattered thoughts and emotions than before, and somehow she felt more stressed out than ever.

She passed by Rhyhorn, who was fast asleep in his usual resting spot in the front yard. As she opened the door to her house, she realized she didn't think of what she was going to tell her mom. _Hopefully she forgot about it,_ Serena thought, though she knew that was highly unlikely. Grace had a habit of remembering some things _too_ well. Serena walked inside. Luckily, Grace still wasn't in sight as Serena started to make her way up the stairs quietly. She managed to get to her room and close the door before having to interact with her mom. _Whew._

She grabbed a bag of potato chips and curled up in bed. Then she took out her phone and noticed she had a missed call. "Clemont? Huh," she said, wondering what her old traveling companion would be calling for. She called back.

*Ring, ring. Ring, ring*.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Clemont. You called earlier? Sorry, I was kinda busy," Serena said.

"No worries, Serena. I was just calling to ask if you'd talked to Ash recently," Clemont replied.

Serena almost choked on a potato chip.

"Serena?"

"Yeah, sorry, uh no, I haven't, why?" Serena answered, barely able to form a sentence at that moment.

"Just wondering. He called me earlier today and asked about you. Apparently he's on his way to the Alola region."

Serena couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Sorry...you said he asked about me?" she asked.

"Yeah, he just wanted to know how you were doing and such. Nothing huge, but I just thought I'd let you know since he didn't seem to be too keen on calling you himself."

"Oh? Why's that?"

"No idea, that's kinda what I wanted to ask you. But honestly, it's not really any of my business, I just thought you should know in case something important is going on here."

"Hmm, no, nothing important...that wouldn't make sense, I mean we haven't talked in so long," Serena said with a sad tone.

"Well, alright. Maybe he'll call you at some point, who knows."

* * *

Ash stared at his phone. _There's still time,_ he thought to himself.

Pikachu glanced up at him. "Pika pi?" he asked.

Ash chuckled and rubbed Pikachu's tail, much to the Mouse Pokemon's delight. "It's nothing, buddy. I just can't wait to get to paradise, that's all," he said.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please ensure your seatbelts are fastened, we are taking off now," the pilot said over the intercom. "Please also make sure that all electronic devices are completely turned off or set to airplane mode."

"Oh well," Ash said, switching his phone to airplane mode. He felt the plane picking up speed and eventually lifting off the ground, a sensation he had come to love. But it was hard to enjoy it now with so much on his mind.

After about an hour in the air, Ash fell asleep.

* * *

Dinner consisted of meatloaf, a side of mashed potatoes, and an extremely long, awkward silence between Serena and her mother.

It's not that Serena didn't want to talk about anything. She just felt like her mother wouldn't fully understand the situation. After all, things were now a lot more complicated than when Serena had first told Grace about everything that had happened.

Grace was being careful not to initiate an explosive conversation with her daughter. She knew Serena was going through a tough time and didn't want to start another argument if she didn't have to. She said her piece earlier; now was the time to let Serena figure things out on her own. Though she'd be lying if she said she wasn't curious about what Serena talked about with Calem.

Surprisingly, Serena broke the silence. "Dinner's great mom, thanks," she said quietly, chewing slowly on a small piece of meatloaf.

"You're welcome, honey," Grace replied.

Another awkward silence.

"So, tomorrow's not gonna be another lazy day, is it?" Grace joked.

Serena managed the tiniest hint of a smile. "Definitely not. You're right, I can't get lazy or cocky if I wanna win," she said, sipping from her glass of water.

"Is that what you want?"

Serena looked up. "Is what what I want?" she asked.

"Is winning all you want at this very moment?" Grace persisted.

Serena raised an eyebrow. "Um, I'm not sure what you mean, mom. You know that I want to become Kalos Queen again," she said, though deep down she knew that she wanted something much, much more than that.

* * *

Ash woke up to the sounds of people screaming and an extremely loud alarm. His eyes flew open and adrenaline immediately starting flowing through his veins. "What's happening?" he shouted, frantically looking around.

"The pilot's lost control! We're slowly being sucked into, that-that thing!" a man two seats down shouted, pointing out the window.

Ash quickly looked out the window. His jaw dropped. Slowly but surely, the plane was gravitating towards a massive, dark, rotating...Ash didn't know what to call it.

"It's a wormhole!" someone shouted.

 _Okay, it's a wormhole...what the heck is a wormhole?_ Ash thought.

"We're all gonna die!"

"Someone save us, please! Save us from that thing!"

Ash's brain was desperately trying to think of a plan. Everyone around seemed too panicked to think clearly. People were grabbing for the oxygen masks that were dropping from the ceiling. Ash took one for himself and put another one on Pikachu, who was staring at the wormhole. "Pika...pikachu," he said.

"What is it, buddy?" Ash asked, but Pikachu didn't answer. It just stared angrily out the window.

"Pidgeotto, fly us out of here!" a man shouted as he opened one of the emergency exits, causing the pressure inside the plane to go completely out of whack. The man released his Pidgeotto from its Pokeball and was gone in an instant. Now that there was a hole in the plane, things started flying out at incredibly high speeds. Hats, luggage, purses, Pokeballs...all flying out the doorway.

 _What an idiot,_ Ash thought, feeling his ears popping immediately. _Okay, think, Ash, think,_ Ash was becoming more panicked. Out of the six Pokemon in total that he had brought with him, Charizard was one of them, so he and Pikachu could easily escape if he left now. But Ash was thinking about how he was going to save these other people. _I have Sceptile, Oshawott...Oshawott!_

"Oshawott, come out and use Ice Beam!" Ash commanded, his ears popping more painfully now. There was no time to lose. Oshawott appeared in a flash of white light and froze the emergency exit, covering the entire doorway with ice. "Great job, Oshawott."

"Now what?" a woman asked frantically, unable to get ahold of herself. She seemed to be hyperventilating, and her eyes were filled with fear. Ash rushed over to her and tried to calm her down. "You need to stop breathing so fast!" he said. "We don't have as much oxygen in here!" But it was no use. The woman passed out, falling face-first onto one of the seats. _Oh god…_ Ash thought. _This is horrible._

The plane was approaching the wormhole at a much faster rate now. It was likely only a matter of a few minutes before the entire plane would get sucked in for good. No one wanted to find out what happened after that. Ash ran up the aisle to look for help. He was clean out of options at this point.

Suddenly, a massive tentacle broke through one of the windows. "AH!" Ash shouted, taking a step back. "What the hell is that thing?"

"Everyone get off! This thing is gonna kill us!" someone screamed.

*CRACK*

Ash turned back to see someone's Hitmonchan punching through the ice Oshawott had made. He was about to stop them when he realized that maybe getting outside the plane was exactly what he needed to do.

"Pikachu, get into your Pokeball," Ash commanded. Pikachu looked reluctant, but knew that this was no time to be stubborn. Ash carefully put Pikachu's Pokeball in his bag. "Now Charizard...get us closer to that thing! I wanna see what we're up against," he commanded as he released Charizard from its Pokeball into the air in front of him. He took in a deep breath as he jumped out of the plane, hopping onto Charizard's back. As fast as he could, Charizard dashed around the side of the plane, and Ash saw what was possibly the strangest Pokemon he had ever seen before.

It looked like a jellyfish, but absolutely nothing like Jellicent or Tentacruel. Its translucent head was decorated with stars, and it had about a dozen tentacles. Four of them were longer and more towards the front of its body, as if they were its arms. Ash was so in shock that he hadn't noticed it had released what appeared to be a liquid toxin from its body directed towards him and Charizard.

He couldn't speak, he was still holding his breath. Charizard cried out in pain, and immediately turned around, flying away from the strange Pokemon. Ash didn't know what to do at this point. There were still people in the plane who needed saving, but he didn't know how long Charizard could handle carrying multiple people, especially after getting hit with that poisonous attack. But Charizard made the decision for him. The Flame Pokemon flew past the plane towards the water below, and didn't look back once. Whatever that weird Pokemon was, it's toxic power had definitely made an impression on poor Charizard.

Ash held the tears back as he tried not to think of all the people on the plane. Helpless, dying...or worse? At this point still, no one could identify what the wormhole was.

Charizard had finally flown down low enough so that Ash could breathe, but he still couldn't speak. _What just happened?_ he thought, his mind unable to make sense of what had transpired just moments ago. _All those people...I couldn't save them…_

For once, Ash Ketchum was unable to save the day. As Charizard's condition began to worsen, Ash was unsure if he was even going to be able to save himself. "Hang in there, Charizard...just a little longer, okay?" Ash pleaded, when in truth he knew it was possible that they could be hundreds of miles from Alola. Charizard was as tough as they come, but the toxic substance still lingered on its left wing, and it was ugly. Ash knew he needed to get Charizard treated immediately...but he was in the middle of the ocean, with no land in sight whatsoever.

No land, that is, for about ten minutes when Ash could barely make out the faint outline of an island in the distance. _Thank god,_ Ash thought with a huge sigh of relief. Charizard was now barely flying above the ocean water, its claws skimming the surface as it struggled to stay airborne. They flew on for a few more minutes before Charizard collapsed and Ash was forced to recall it to its Pokeball to protect it from the water.

"Thank you, Charizard," Ash said, now forced to tread water. Now, he had to depend on little Oshawott if they wanted to save themselves. "Oshawott, come out!" he shouted as he released the Sea Otter Pokemon from its capsule. Holding onto each other, Ash and Oshawott slowly began swimming towards what Ash hoped was land.

"Not too much further, buddy. We can do this."


	4. Chapter 4: Arrival in Alola

Hey guys, sorry this chapter took so long, but I have to let you know that updates will be a lot slower from now on, I'm back at school and I'm busier than ever. Expect a new chapter about once a month; I will do my best to be as consistent as possible.

Chapter 4: Arrival in Alola

"Um...what do you think we should do?"

Ash was lying unconscious on the shore of Melemele Island as two teenage girls were looking down on him with concern. Lana had been fishing on the back of her Lapras when she noticed Ash and Oshawott in the distance, barely treading above the surface of the water. She had quickly brought them to shore, where both Ash and the Sea Otter Pokemon had immediately passed out from exhaustion. Her first instinct was to get Mallow for help.

Melemele Pokemon School's student body only consisted of ten people, so the classroom had more of an intimate, family-like atmosphere to it rather than a traditional high school. Mallow was sort of like the "big sister" of this family, and so it was only natural for Lana to look up to her; Mallow was smart, caring, responsible, and beautiful. She wasn't the strongest Pokemon battler, but she and her powerful Grass-type Pokemon could definitely still hold their own in any fight. She was also a fantastic cook; every day after class, she helped her father run their family's very popular restaurant, Aina's Kitchen. Because of her looks, she was used to being asked out on dates by customers at the restaurant almost every day, and practically every boy in school had a crush on her. With all things considered, Mallow was pretty much the complete package.

"Bring me some fresh water and some of those medicinal herbs from the kitchen, Lana. Who knows how long he's been out there," Mallow said, touching Ash's forehead with the back of her hand. "At least he doesn't have a fever."

After Lana left, Mallow found herself staring at the boy. _He's...kinda cute,_ she thought to herself. _Oh, snap out of it, Mallow...now is definitely not the time to be thinking about something like that._ She examined his face a bit closer, and suddenly she was getting the feeling that she recognized this boy somehow, but she couldn't figure out where she could have seen him before. But that didn't matter right now; her main priority was to make sure that he was okay.

Lana came running back with a bottle of water and the herbs Mallow had requested. "Thanks, Lana," Mallow said as she quickly took the herbs and started tearing the leaves into smaller pieces. Then, she rubbed them forcefully between her hands to grind them up into even smaller bits. She opened the bottle, dropped the herbs inside, and shook it. "That should do," she said, turning to Lana. "How do you suppose we should wake him up?"

* * *

Serena was laying on the couch in front of the T.V., thinking about what she wanted to do for the rest of the day. _I could practice my performances, Sylveon needs to work on her double backflip and Pancham needs to practice controlling Stone Edge...but I'm just so tired,_ she thought. She started to doze off when she suddenly realized that her phone was ringing. It was Clemont.

"Hello?" she answered, trying to sound as awake as possible.

"Serena, have you heard? A plane disappeared somewhere in the middle of the ocean!" Clemont shouted frantically. "And not just any plane...I'm certain it was the one that Ash was on!" he added, his voice shaky with panic. "They say that some survivors have made it to Alola, but they haven't found even half of the passengers yet…"

Serena put a hand over her mouth in shock. "Oh my god…" she managed to say before she put down the phone and ran upstairs to her room.

"Uh, Serena?" Clemont asked, confused by the lack of response. He waited about thirty seconds before Serena finally returned to the phone.

"Sorry, Clemont, I was packing my bags...I'm going out to find him," Serena replied, nearly out of breath. She had never packed for a trip that quickly...although she did not know how long she was going to be gone, so there was a good chance she underpacked. That didn't matter to her, though. The only thing she was worried about now was Ash's safety. _Please be okay, Ash,_ she thought to herself. _I'm coming._

Despite the dire situation, Clemont almost managed a grin at Serena's reaction to the bad news. After seeing her kiss Ash at the end of their Kalos journey together, and after listening to Bonnie rant about the two trainers, Clemont thought he had a pretty good idea of how Serena felt about Ash now. The way Serena was acting now was only providing more evidence to confirm his suspicions.

"Clemont, when's the next flight leaving for Alola?" Serena asked, unwilling to waste any more time.

"Uh, I hate to say it Serena, but all the flights to Alola have been canceled...they are waiting to figure out the reason of the plane's disappearance before allowing other flights to take the same route. Everyone's too afraid to fly right now, anyway…" Clemont said.

Serena's heart sank. There was no telling how long it would take for the airports to start sending flights to Alola again. She couldn't wait that long...but unfortunately had no other options. She had no flying Pokemon that could carry her, and even if she did she knew the journey would be impossibly long for one Pokemon to fly alone.

Clemont cleared his throat nervously. "Well...if you _really_ want to get to Alola that badly…"

Serena instantly responded, "What? What is it Clemont?"

Cringing, Clemont almost regretted saying anything to begin with, but he knew he couldn't back out now. "I, uh, I have a plane of my own that we could maybe-"

"A plane?! Clemont, that incredible brain of yours never fails. I'll be over in half an hour," Serena said.

"No, Serena, wait, you didn't let me finish," Clemont said. "My plane...isn't quite complete yet. It does fly, I can guarantee that much…but it's never been tested for more than fifteen minutes, and the trip to Alola would surely take much more time than that. Given that this is my first attempt at building a private jet, I'm fairly certain it will have plenty of flaws, and if I don't-"

"Clemont, don't worry about it. If it can fly, then it's my only chance to find him. I can't sit idly by waiting to hear news about him...I mean it's Ash, Clemont. He means the world to me...I mean us," Serena said, hoping Clemont hadn't heard that last bit. "What if he's in serious trouble?"

Clemont sighed. "Well, it doesn't look like you're giving me much of a choice, here, Serena. I guess I could try to fly it," he said reluctantly. "But we will take several safety precautions in the event that the plane cannot handle the flight."

Serena's spirits were uplifted instantly. "Thank you, Clemont! I'll see you real soon!" she yelled, hanging up the phone.

* * *

*SPLASH*

Ash felt a blast of cold water hit him directly in the face. _What the...where am I?_ Slowly, his eyes began to open and he could faintly make out two people staring down at him. "Who...who are you?" he mumbled. He tried to sit up, but every part of his body seemed to be failing him at the moment.

"I'm Mallow, and this is my friend Lana. We found you and your Oshawott here, unconscious on the sand," one of the girls said. She had forest-green hair, tied into two pigtails. Her skin was tan, and she had a slim, fit figure. Without really thinking about it, Ash inadvertently found himself attracted to her.

"Uh...whoa," was all he managed to say. The two girls laughed. Lana was laughing because she could tell what Ash was thinking; she had gotten used to boys admiring Mallow all the time. Mallow laughed simply because she thought Ash's dumbfounded expression was sort of cute.

"Here, Ash, let me help you up," Mallow said, offering her hand to Ash. "Tell us about how you got here."

* * *

Serena paid the driver and flung the taxi cab door open, practically sprinting for Clemont and Bonnie's house. She knocked on the door impatiently. Clemont and Bonnie's father, Meyer, answered the door.

"Serena! It's nice to see you again," he greeted her cheerfully, stepping to the side to make room for her to walk in. "Clemont told me everything...poor Ash, the kid's been doing so well and now this happens. It's crazy, really...I mean, a plane disappearing? I don't quite understand how that could be possible."

Serena nodded with a serious expression on her face. "I know it seems insane, but that's all the more reason why I need to get out there now. You understand, don't you?" she asked him.

Meyer laughed. "Of course I do! I've never stopped Clemont and Bonnie from doing what they believe is right. After all, I did let them save the Pokemon Gym and little Squishy during the battle against Team Flare. Though I was pretty against the idea at first, my kids taught me a thing or two about taking risks. You know, people say that the parents are always right and that the kids should always listen to them, but I hardly find that to be the case with my own children. Clemont and Bonnie are both smart, capable people who can think for themselves in any given situation. I trust them to make the right choices on their own, and flying out to Alola is no exception."

Listening to Meyer talk about his children, Serena realized that Grace would probably say the same, too. Grace had always let Serena make her own choices, even when they seemed rash or risky, like when Serena first left home to embark on her Pokemon journey. She suddenly felt extremely grateful for all her mother had done for her, and guiltily wondered if she was doing enough in return.

"Serena?" Clemont's voice called out. He came quickly down the stairs, adjusting his glasses. "Great! You're here. Ready to go?" he asked.

"Of course I'm ready. We don't have much time to lose!" Serena said, grabbing her bags.

Meyer felt a pang of guilt. "Well, shoot, I'm sorry I went on and on about my kids, Serena! That was awfully inconsiderate of me," he said apologetically.

Serena shook her head. "No, thank you, Meyer. I really enjoyed listening to you, and it reminded me of some things I should talk about with my mom when I get back," she said with a smile on her face.

* * *

"Here, drink this," Mallow said, offering the herb-infused water to Ash.

Ash took the bottle and chugged the whole thing within a matter of seconds. "Thanks, Mallow," he said. "Man, how long have I been out here?" he asked, looking at his surroundings. Palm trees, the bright sun, and clear skies indicated that Ash was definitely in the right place. _Wow, Alola sure is beautiful like everyone says,_ he thought.

Lana chuckled. "Why? Is the sun too much for you already?" she asked.

Shaking his head, Ash spread his arms wide to feel the sun's warmth on his body. "Actually, no. I could really get used to this heat on my skin; it feels really nice," he said.

Mallow smiled. "You should take your shirt off and let yourself dry off a bit. We can find you some extra clothes somewhere back at the school," she said.

"I'm sure Kiawe can lend you a shirt, although we'll have to double-check since he never wears a shirt himself," Lana mentioned.

"C'mon, Ash, let's take you to meet the professor. I'm sure he would love to meet another Pokemon trainer," Mallow said, taking Ash's hand in hers. Her skin was soft, and while Ash certainly hadn't expected her to hold his hand, he didn't really feel like letting go. The three trainers started walking away from the beach, towards the tall building of the Melemele Pokemon School.

As they walked through a thickly wooded path, Ash asked, "So, you said the professor would want to meet another trainer...does that mean he's a trainer himself?"

Mallow nodded her head. "That's right, Professor Kukui is not only the most accomplished Pokemon professor in Alola, but also one of the strongest trainers around. He's the one who first introduced the idea of Alola having its own league, after all," she answered.

"Sounds like he does it all," Ash said, now very eager to meet this man. "A renowned professor and an experienced battler...how old is this guy? Like seventy?" Ash asked.

Laughing, Mallow shook her head. "Oh, no. I've never asked him how old he is, but he's definitely not that old. My best guess would be somewhere between 25-30 years old," she said.

"No way, really? This guy is incredible!" Ash exclaimed, shocked at the idea of someone so young being so accomplished. He wondered what he would be doing at that age, and suddenly he found himself thinking deeply about not just his current goals in life, but also what those aspirations would eventually lead to in the years to come.

"Well, we're here," Mallow said, gesturing towards the large building in front of them. "That right there is the Melemele Pokemon School, where only the finest students get to learn from Professor Kukui himself. And, speaking of the professor, there he is now!"

Ash saw a man walking towards them with a small, dog-like Pokemon trotting alongside him. Mallow was probably right about his age; there's no way this man could have been any older than 35, max. The man smiled at them and waved.

"Mallow! Lana! Who's this you've brought here?" he asked, eyeing Ash with curiosity.

"This is Ash, Professor Kukui. We actually found him unconscious on the shore. He said his plane was attacked by a strange Pokemon in the sky," Mallow explained.

The professor frowned. "Well that's rather unsettling. Come on inside, Ash, and let's grab a bite to eat. It seems like we have a lot to talk about."


End file.
